Research Support Manager - Department of Surgery

University of Iowa; Iowa City (IA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Benefits package

Retirement contributions

Job summary

University of Iowa in Iowa City, IA seeks a Research Support Manager to handle all aspects of the department's research mission, including pre-/post-grant processes and sponsorship-funded projects. You will oversee staff and ensure compliance across finance and HR transactions for sponsored funds.

The role collaborates with the Vice Chairs for Education and Research, manages onboarding access and payroll approvals, and contributes to grant planning and training activities.

Qualifications

• Minimum of three years of accounting experience.
• Minimum of three years of grants administration experience.
• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Experience managing complex information requiring attention to detail.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, including Excel.
• Demonstrated ability to work in a team setting.
• Knowledge of finance and accounting practices, financial analysis, and reporting.

Responsibilities

• Identifies trends and determines priorities for the Department of Surgery.
• Develops and monitors financial plans.
• Analyzes data over numerous years to project and makes budgeting recommendations.
• Provides final departmental approval of all financial and HR transactions on sponsored funds.
• Hires, trains, and develops employees within the Department of Surgery.
• Acts as member of the Department of Surgery administration finance team.
• Supervises the departmental research team and associated staff.
• Ensures grant expenditures are monitored and compliant.
• Reviews and approves grant budgets and proposals.
• Serves on Research Administration Team and advises on policies and systems.

Skills

Grant administration

Financial analysis

Budgeting

Leadership

Communication

Payroll & HR processes

Microsoft Excel

Education

Bachelor’s degree in business administration, finance, or related area

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

Excel

Accounting software

Job description

Position Summary

The Research Support Manager handles all aspects of the research mission for the Department of Surgery, covering pre- and post-grant award processes. The Research Support Manager is responsible for management of the sponsor-funded, internally-funded research projects and research commitments as part of start-up funding, bridge funding, or research incentive funding. This position also oversees mentorship meetings for junior faculty and monthly/quarterly finance and research journal clubs and provides administrative supervision to lab staff and other research support personnel. This would include assisting with onboarding by requesting appropriate access to labs, shared files, and system programs, approving payroll and time off requests, overseeing compliances, and processing tuition payments as needed. The Research Support Manager will work closely with the Vice Chair for Education and the Vice Chair for Research to administer the clinical research residency program and any future training grants. This position will determine the need for additional research staff and the availability of funding and will sit as a member of search committees when positions are posted. This position will also be responsible for final review and approval of financial and human resource transactions on sponsored funds.

Position Responsibilities

• Identifies trends and determines priorities for the Department of Surgery.
• Develops and monitors financial plans.
• Analyzes data over numerous years to project and makes recommendations to administration for future year budgeting and planning.
• Provides final departmental approval of all financial and HR transactions on sponsored funds for the Department of Surgery.
• Hires, trains, and develops employees within the Department of Surgery.
• Acts as member of the Department of Surgery administration finance team.
• Supervises and leads departmental research team, including an accountant, research assistants, clinical trials coordinators, graduate research assistants, hourly undergraduate students, and any complimentary appointees in laboratory areas.
• Acts as point of contact for Carver College of Medicine summer medical student program, which includes determining appropriate funding, onboarding any summer interns, and ensuring access is set up prior to intern’s start date.
• Ensures accountants are monitoring grant expenditures and ensuring compliance.
• Reviews and approves grant budgets and proposals.
• Serves on Research Administration Team for the Department of Surgery.
• Advises and assists departmental leaders in creating policies and systems that streamline the grant process.
• Develops plans for future grant submissions including training grants.
• Serves as a liaison with internal departments and external agencies.
• Communicates with Division of Sponsored Programs and the Grant Accounting Office about grants and assists with year-end reporting, grant closeout, and audit questions.
• Prepares and negotiates private industry sponsored funding opportunities.
• Provides support in transfer of research funding from other institutions for new faculty.
• Provides training sessions for the finance and administrative teams on use of Excel, UIRIS, Cayuse, Protrav, and other online systems.
• Creates and maintains operations manual for administrative team and specific labs within the Department of Surgery.
• Reviews and monitors monthly and periodic reports that help the department look at where they stand financially.
• Creates and monitors research financial matrix report to measure sustainability and productivity.
• Proactively reviews reports to resolve financial discrepancies, minimizing risk to the department.
• Meets with faculty on a regular basis to review research milestones and budgetary issues.
• Other duties or projects as assigned by supervisor.
• Demonstrates respect for all members of the University community in the course of performing one’s duties and in response to administrators, supervisors, coworkers, and customers.
• Represents the interests of the University and of unit leadership in the use of resources to meet service and productivity demands within unit goals and budgets; strives to promote continual process and quality improvement.
• Seeks opportunities to enhance one’s own professional knowledge, skills, and abilities as they relate to one’s current position and/or to prepare for potential future roles and overall career development.

Percent of Time: 100%, 40 hours per week

Location: UI Main Campus

Pay Grade: 5A

Benefit Highlights

• Regular salaried position located in Iowa City, Iowa.
• Fringe benefit package including paid vacation; sick leave; health, dental life and disability insurance options; and generous employer contributions into retirement plans. For more information on benefits, please visit: https://hr.uiowa.edu/benefits/employee-benefits

Education Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, finance, or a related area, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Experience Requirements

• Minimum of three years of accounting experience.
• Minimum of three years of grants administration experience.
• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Experience managing complex information requiring attention to detail.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, including Excel.
• Demonstrated ability to work in a team setting.
• Must be proficient in computer software applications.
• Knowledge of finance and accounting practices, financial analysis, and reporting; ability to apply this knowledge appropriately to a variety of situations.
• Knowledge of and ability to use processes, tools and services for developing and managing grants and contracts.
• Knowledge of the contractual, compliance and legal matters related to expenditures related to grants from various federal, state and private funding agencies; ability to evaluate, interpret and improve the language used in grant contractual agreements.

Desired Qualifications

• Experience with grant budget preparation and monitoring.
• Experience in management and supervision of staff.
• Knowledge of University of Iowa Health Care practices, rules, and regulations.
• Knowledge of NIH rules and regulations.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment.
• Proven ability to multitask, prioritize, and coordinate multiple duties.

This position is not eligible for University sponsorship for employment authorization.

Successful candidates will be required to self-disclose any conviction history and will be subject to a criminal background check and credential/education verification. Up to 5 professional references will be requested at a later step in the recruitment process.

For additional questions, please contact Devin DeAnda at [e-mail].

Additional Information

• Classification Title: Research Support Manager
• Appointment Type: Professional and Scientific
• Schedule: Full-time
• Work Modality Options: On Campus

Compensation

• Pay Level: 5A

Contact Information

• Organization: Healthcare
• Contact Name: Devin DeAnda
• Contact Email: [e-mail]